Vatican’s message for Sea Sunday to recall seafarers

(June 25, 2010) Describing the world’s some 1.5 million seafarers as ‘invisible people’ who don’t catch our attention, the Vatican has urged Christians worldwide to recognize their hard work and sacrifices and support the network of ‘Stella Maris’ centres that care for them. The Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People made the call in its message for the annual Sea Sunday this year to be observed on July 11. The message released on Thursday said that Sea Sunday is an invitation to Christian communities to see and recognize these “invisible people” as “real people” who, with their hard work and sacrifices, make our life more comfortable. The council noted that loneliness is their constant companion and injustices are frequent. In the current economic crisis they are easily abandoned in foreign ports, pirates attacks are becoming more frequent and when an accident occurs criminalization and detention are sometimes the price they pay on behalf of the vessel owner or the charter. The Vatican’s pontifical council recalled that that International Maritime Organization (IMO) was marking 2010 as the “Year of the Seafarer” to draw attention to seafarers’ unique contribution to society, and increase awareness about their difficulties. The Apostleship of the Sea, founded in 1920, is the Catholic Church’s ministry for seafarers carried out through its network of “Stella Maris” (Star of the Sea) centres attached to ports. In this year marking the Year of the Seafarer as well as the 90th anniversary of the Apostleship of the Sea the Vatican’s pontifical council appealed to countries to speed up the ratification of the 2006 Maritime Labour Convention,” which it said is “a fundamental instrument to improve the working and living conditions of seafarers.” It also called on Christians to pause for a moment and pray for seafarers and their families. Sea Sunday was established by the Anglican, Catholic and Free Churches in 1975.